Want to find out about a movie before you spend your hard-earned money on it? MovieReviewMaven will tell you the good, the bad, the ugly and the inspiring, so you can decide if it's right for you or your family.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Beauty and the Beast brings animation magic to life

In a Nutshell: In this lovely Disney re-telling of a tale
as old as time, Emma Watson shows us she can sing, dance, and cast a delightful
spell on audiences, even when she isn’t playing Hermione Granger. Bill Condon (who also directed Dreamgirls and one of the
Twilight movies) sticks fairly close to the source material, but adds a few new
songs and some new jokes to freshen up the story.While I enjoyed this new version, I have to admit the 1991 Disney animation did it better.

Uplifting theme:

Do not
be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.

“Don’t
be afraid.” - Beast

Be kind and fearless

Things I liked:

There
are some beautiful set pieces and landscapes that put the make-believe French village
and castle in the magic zone.

Josh
Gad is Disney awesomeness and looks quite comfortable in another musical.

It’s
better in 3D, but not necessary. (I saw it in both.)

I love
Dan Stevens’ blue eyes.

I’ve
always loved Kevin Kline in anything he does, so I thought his little solo
was very touching. “How does a moment last forever? How does a story never die? It's love we must hold on to.” Celine Dion sings it again at the end of the movie. More love. Did you know she won a Grammy for a song she sang with the 1991 animated movie?

Audra
McDonald clearly has the best pipes out of all the singers in the
movie. Did you know she is married
to Will Swenson (I thought he was hilarious in Sons of Provo)

I
loved the Beast’s eye makeup in the beginning.

I
thought the tomato soup and rolls that Belle and the Beast ate for lunch looked delicious. Yeah, of course I would notice the food.

As an author, I love that books played a prominent role in the movie. Belle explains that books allow you to
escape. Yes! (So do movies.)

Did
you notice Belle’s modern earring that she wore on one ear at the ball?

I
thought Belle and the Beast looked good together at the end, like they
matched.

I
loved how the rolling credits showed the cast at the end of the movie.

Emma Thompson is magical in everything she does.

The sets and costumes are all gorgeous.

The original composer from the 1991 animation came back to score this film!

Luke Evans was awesome as Gaston.

If you loved the original, you'll be glad they didn't change much in this version.

A lot of critics are bashing Ewan McGregor for his terrible French accent, but I thought it was fine. I've always really liked him. I mean, c'mon, he's a Jedi.

While
I thought the live action remake of Cinderella with Lily James and Cate
Blanchett was absolutely fantastic, this new version of Beauty and the
Beast is just ok.

In
this new adaptation, the Beast has a magical book that allows you to teleport
anywhere. Awesome, right? So then, why is the magic mirror still
needed?

While
I enjoyed Emma Watson, I’m just wondering why Anna Kendrick wasn’t cast as
Belle. She has a much, much better
voice.

Why is
Belle’s skirt always pulled up on the right side?

It
feels like a stage play at times.

Sometimes
the camera moves too fast. I wanted
to see more things slower.

I wanted the famous ballroom dance scene to be breathtaking, like in the newest Cinderella, but it was underwhelming.

If you were hoping for a new take on the original story, you might be disappointed, because it is very much the same movie, except with live action.

I thought Belle was kind of rude when Gaston gave her flowers in the square.

Interesting lines:

“She
hasn’t made a fool of herself just to gain my favor. What would you call that?” – Gaston
(Luke Evans)

“Dignity.” – Le Fou

"It's outrageously attractive, don't you think?" - Gaston

“Your
library makes our small corner of the world feel big.” – Belle

“People
say a lot of things in anger. It is
our choice whether or not to listen.” – Mrs. Pott

“Can
anybody be happy if they’re not free?” – Belle

Funny lines:

“It’s
never going to happen, ladies.” – Le Fou (Josh Gad)

"You really want to marry into this family?" - Le Fou

Tips for
parents:

There
is a scene with LeFou, Gaston’s sidekick, that has been labeled a “gay moment." Because of it, the movie has already been banned in Malaysia and restricted
to viewers over the age of 16 in Russia. In my opinion, that moment has been blown out of proportion. In fact, I was able to identify what could be called 3 "gay moments." I completely understand why parents feel betrayed by Disney, who they look to for "safe" family-friendly entertainment; however, over the years, more and more Disney films have contained potentially offensive material. What are parents to do? Talk with your children about what you value and why, while teaching them to love others.

Young
girls will notice that only the boys were allowed to go to school and
read. Talk to your daughters about
that. Point out how smart,
independent, and capable Belle was because she read and sought knowledge.

No profanity. Thank you Disney!

There are some scenes that might frighten young children, particularly with scary wolves and fighting.

Check out this cool video that BYU's Vocal Point just made with Lexi Walker to honor the wonderful music of Beauty and the Beast! The male dancer in the scene "Tale as Old as Time" was dating my niece. They were both on the award-winning BYU Ballroom dance team together! He's a really great guy.